WASHINGTON, March 24 (Reuters) - A tragic fire on Monday destroyed the
personal library of President George W. Bush. Both of his books have
been lost. Presidential spokesman Ari Fleischer said the president was
devastated, as he had not finished coloring the second one.

03/21/03: Nouveau Cuisine "Fries" In Santa Cruz
The Saturn Cafe in Santa Cruz is temporarily changing the name of their fries to "Fuck George Bush Fries" and 5 % of the profits going to the Impeachment Fund.

Contact Senator Byrd (http://byrd.senate.gov/) and Congressman John Conyers from Michigan (john.conyers@mail.house.gov) to show your support for their speeches against the Bush Regime.

Congressman John Conyers from Michigan is taking a head count to determine support for impeachment proceedings for this bogus Bush administration.

Senator Robert Byrd's speeches on the Senate floor are enumerating the missteps and gross acts committed by the present leadership.

03/18/03: Howard Zinn - A Chorus Against War
Lifted From The Prgessive

AS I WRITE THIS, it looks like war. This, in spite
of the obvious lack of enthusiasm in the country for
war. The polls that register "approve" or "disapprove"
can only count numbers; they cannot test the depth of
feeling. And there are many signs that the support for
war is shallow and shaky and ambivalent.

This Administration will not likely be stopped,
though it knows its support is thin. In fact, that is
undoubtedly why it is in such a hurry; it wants to go
to war before the support gets any thinner.

The assumption is that once the soldiers are in
combat, the American people will unite behind the war.
The television screens will show "smart bombs"
exploding, and the Secretary of Defense will assure the
American people that civilian casualties are being kept
to a minimum. (We're in the age of megadeaths, and any
number of casualties less than a million is no cause
for concern.)

This is the way it has been. Unity behind the
President in time of war. But it may not be that way
again.

The anti-war movement will not likely surrender to
the martial atmosphere. The hundreds of thousands who
marched in Washington and San Francisco and New York
and Boston--and in villages, towns, and cities all over
the country from Georgia to Montana--will not meekly
withdraw. Unlike the shallow support for the war, the
opposition to the war is deep and cannot be easily
dislodged or frightened into silence.

Indeed, the anti-war feelings are bound to become
more intense.

To the demand "Support Our GIs," the movement will
be able to reply: "Yes, we support our GIs, we want
them to live, we want them to be brought home. The
government is not supporting them. It is sending them
to die, or to be wounded, or to be poisoned by our own
depleted uranium shells."

No, our casualties may not be numerous, but every
single one will be a waste of an important human life.
We will insist that this government be held responsible
for every death, every dismemberment, every case of
sickness, every case of psychic trauma caused by the
shock of war.

And though the media will be blocked from access to
the dead and wounded of Iraq, though the human tragedy
unfolding in Iraq will be told in numbers, in
abstractions, and not in the stories of real human
beings, real children, real mothers and fathers, the
movement will find a way to tell that story. And when
it does, the American people--who can be cold to death
on "the other side," but who also wake up when "the
other side" is suddenly seen as a man, a woman, a
child, just like us--will respond.

For the rest of the article see :
http://www.progressive.org/march03/zinn0303.html

03/18/03: A Letter from Michael Moore
A Letter from Michael Moore to George W. Bush on the Eve of War

George W. Bush
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, DC

Dear Governor Bush:

So today is what you call "the moment of truth," the day that "France and the rest of world have to show their cards on the table." I'm glad to hear that this day has finally arrived. Because, I gotta tell ya, having survived 440 days of your lying and conniving, I wasn't sure if I could take much more. So I'm glad to hear that today is Truth Day, 'cause I got a few truths I would like to share with you:

1. There is virtually NO ONE in America (talk radio nutters and Fox News aside) who is gung-ho to go to war. Trust me on this one. Walk out of the White House and on to any street in America and try to find five people who are PASSIONATE about wanting to kill Iraqis. YOU WON'T FIND THEM! Why? 'Cause NO Iraqis have ever come here and killed any of us! No Iraqi has even threatened to do that. You see, this is how we average Americans think: If a certain so-and-so is not perceived as a threat to our lives, then, believe it or not, we don't want to kill him! Funny how that works!

2. The majority of Americans -- the ones who never elected you -- are not fooled by your weapons of mass distraction. We know what the real issues are that affect our daily lives -- and none of them begin with I or end in Q. Here's what threatens us: two and a half million jobs lost since you took office, the stock market having become a cruel joke, no one knowing if their retirement funds are going to be there, gas now costs almost two dollars -- the list goes on and on. Bombing Iraq will not make any of this go away. Only you need to go away for things to improve.

For the rest of the story:
http://www.voice4change.org/stories/showstory.asp?file=030318~mm.asp

03/18/03: PENTAGON THREATENS TO KILL INDEPENDENT

10th March, 2003
by Fintan Dunne, Editor
http://www.GuluFuture.com

The Pentagon has threatened to fire on the satellite uplink positions of independent journalists in Iraq, according to veteran BBC war correspondent, Kate Adie. In an interview with Irish radio, Ms. Adie said that questioned about the consequences of such potentially fatal actions, a senior Pentagon officer had said: "Who cares.. ..They've been warned."

According to Ms. Adie, who twelve years ago covered the last Gulf War, the Pentagon attitude is: "entirely hostile to the the free spread of information."

"I am enormously pessimistic of the chance of decent on-the-spot reporting, as the war occurs," she told Irish national broadcaster, Tom McGurk on the RTE1 Radio "Sunday Show."

Ms. Adie made the startling revelations during a discussion of media freedom issues in the likely upcoming war in Iraq. She also warned that the Pentagon is vetting journalists according to their stance on the war, and intends to take control of US journalists' satellite equipment --in order to control access to the airwaves.

Another guest on the show, war author Phillip Knightley, reported that the Pentagon has also threatened they: "may find it necessary to bomb areas in which war correspondents are attempting to report from the Iraqi side."

More at :
http://www.gulufuture.com/news/kate_adie030310.htm

03/17/03: Dixie Chicks Embarrassed By Bush
Mar 14, 9:58 AM (ET)

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) - The Dixie Chicks are drawing harsh words from country music fans for remarks singer Natalie Maines made about President George W. Bush during a recent performance in London.

Maines told the audience earlier this week, "Just so you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas."
Angry phone calls flooded Nashville radio station WKDF-FM on Thursday, some calling for a boycott of the Texas trio's music.

The group released a statement Thursday saying they have been overseas for several weeks and "the anti-American sentiment that has unfolded here is astounding. While we support our troops, there is nothing more frightening than the notion of going to war with Iraq and the prospect of all the innocent lives that will be lost."

In a separate statement Thursday, Maines said, "I feel the president is ignoring the opinion of many in the U.S. and alienating the rest of the world. My comments were made in frustration, and one of the privileges of being an American is you are free to voice your own point of view."

The Dixie Chicks will kick off a U.S. tour in support of their multi-platinum album "Home" on May 1 in Greenville, South Carolina. The group's hits include "Wide Open Spaces,""Ready to Run" and "Landslide."

ANNETTE WITHERIDGE IN NEW YORK
THE backlash against prominent stars opposing any attack on Iraq has
impacted on this year's Oscars, with organisers drawing up a blacklist of
people who will not be allowed a platform to air anti-war views.

Meryl Streep, Sean Penn, Vanessa Redgrave, George Clooney, Dustin Hoffman
and Spike Lee are among those who will not be speaking, amid fears they
could turn the ceremony into an anti-war rally.

In a move denounced by some as a return to McCarthyism, star presenters have
been ordered to stick to scripts, while winners, who the producers have no
control over, could find their acceptance speeches cut if they say anything
much more than a brief thank you.

Officially, executives say that politics is a turn-off for the show's
television audience. But in the wake of a public backlash against actors
such as Martin Sheen, from the West Wing, who have voiced opposition to war,
producers do not want to upset advertisers who have paid more than £50
million for adverts. In previous years, high-profile presenters have grabbed
the spotlight to promote their political causes. Richard Gere urged China to
end its occupation of Tibet and Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins appealed for
HIV-positive Haitians to be allowed into the United States.

Sarandon and Robbins are also among those on this year's unofficial
blacklist, along with Ed Norton and Dennis Hopper. The only anti-war
campaigner on the presenters' list so far is Salma Hayek, the star of Frida
and a best actress nominee.

Gil Cates, one of the ceremony's producers, wants the ceremony, which takes
place on 23 March, to celebrate the Oscars' 75th anniversary rather than the
anti-Bush/Blair movement. And he admitted he thought it "inappropriate" for
stars to use their slots to spotlight world problems.

But Tom O'Neil, an Oscar historian, said: "Political tantrums are
inevitable. You're dealing with a class of people who have unchecked egos
and who are invited on talk shows to be experts on everything from high art
to pop culture."

Top of the loose-cannon list this year is the Bowling for Columbine
director, Michael Moore, a favourite to win the documentary feature award.

Last month, Moore thanked the French for not supporting the proposed Iraqi
invasion while accepting an award in Paris. And on Saturday, he used the
Writers Guild of America awards in Los Angeles to voice his opinions of
George Bush, the US president.

Worryingly, for the Oscar producers, Moore won loud applause after telling
the audience: "What I see is a country that does not like what's going on.
Let's all commit ourselves to Bush removal in 2004."

If Moore does not win an Oscar, insiders claim Hollywood will be reverting
back to the witch-hunting 1950s, when Senator Joseph McCarthy and his
cohorts destroyed the careers of supposed Communist sympathies. The "Red
scare" stories saw off Charlie Chaplin, who left Hollywood for Switzerland,
and a host of other high-profile celebrities.

McCarthy-supporting actors included the former US president, Ronald Reagan,
and the director Elia Kazan.

03/10/03: Sheep Head Breaks Music Fan's Skull

OSLO, Norway - A flying sheep's head hit a concertgoer and fractured his skull at a concert of metal band Mayhem.

The band, part of Norway's death metal music scene, was carving up a dead sheep as part of its stage act when the animal's head flew off lead singer Maniac's knife and struck Per Kristian Hagen, 25.

The show was Thursday in Bergen, 487 kilometers (302 miles) west of the capital, Oslo.

"My relationship to sheep is a bit ambivalent now. I like them, but not when they come flying through the air," Hagen told The Associated Press Monday from his hospital room. "I have a headache now." He is expected to recover.

Hagen, a Mayhem fan, filed involuntary assault and battery charges against the band. The charges carry a maximum sentence of six months in prison.

Mayhem member Rune Eriksen, whose stage name is Blasphemer, said the incident was unfortunate.

"The whole thing was an accident, but maybe it would be an idea for another show," he said.

Eriksen promised Hagen a free ticket to the group's next performance.

Police detective Carl-Petter Leganger told the AP an investigation has started, but "nothing suggests this was a conscious act."

03/07/03: Area Man Arrested For "Peace on Earth" Shirt

Associated Press story:

ALBANY, N.Y. - A man was charged with trespassing in a mall after he refused to take off a T-shirt that said "Peace on Earth" and "Give peace a chance."

Mall security approached Stephen Downs, 61, and his 31-year-old son, Roger, on Monday night after they were spotted wearing the T-shirts at Crossgates Mall in a suburb of Albany, the men said.

The two said they were asked to remove the shirts made at a store there, or leave the mall. They refused.

The guards returned with a police officer who repeated the ultimatum. The son took his T-shirt off, but the father refused.

"'I said, `All right then, arrest me if you have to,'" Downs said. "So that's what they did. They put the handcuffs on and took me away."

Downs pleaded innocent to the charges Monday night. The New York Civil Liberties Union said it would help with his case if asked.

Police Chief James Murley said his officers were just responding to a complaint by mall security.

"We don't care what they have on their shirts, but they were asked to leave the property, and it's private property," Murley said.

A mall spokeswoman did not return calls Tuesday seeking comment.

Monday's arrest came less than three months after about 20 peace activists wearing similar T-shirts were told to leave by mall security and police. There were no arrests.

03/07/03: Man Walks Into A Bar, Kills Computer

LAFAYETTE, Colo. ( Court TV ) — George Doughty won't have any more problems with his computer. But the computer will never work again either.

Doughty was accused Sunday of shooting his Dell laptop four times with a Smith & Wesson revolver in the middle of his Sportsman's Inn Bar and Restaurant.

He then allegedly hung the destroyed laptop on the wall "like a hunting trophy," said Lt. Rick Bashor of the Lafayette Police Department.

Doughty, 48, who owns the establishment, entered the bar from his office on Sunday morning. He told the two patrons and bartender that he was going to shoot his computer before returning to his office. Some 30 minutes later, police said, Doughty set his laptop on the floor, warned the customers to cover their ears and fired away. No one was injured.

Police learned of the shooting when an employee of the bar called the bartender to ask if there was anything going on. The bartender then told her about the incident and she notified authorities, Bashor said.

Doughty never explained what prompted his actions, but told police that it seemed like the right thing to do at the time.

Because Doughty is accused of putting the customers and bartender in danger, he was arrested on suspicion of felony menacing, reckless endangerment and the prohibited use of weapons.

03/06/03: Pentagon Orders More Body Bags Than Last Time

FEARS that Iraq will inflict heavy casualties on British and American troops intensified yesterday when it emerged the Pentagon had ordered almost five times the number of body bags it requested before the last Gulf War.

Within weeks it will have more than 77,000 bags at the ready, compared with 16,000 in 1991.

In the last conflict, 148 US soldiers were killed in combat, including 35 by "friendly fire", while Iraqi forces suffered some 30,000 casualties.

The increased order will reinforce concern that Saddam might be preparing to use chemical or biological weapons.

It will also fuel speculation that planners are expecting to suffer high casualties in street fighting as the troops try to take major cities such as Basra and Baghdad.

"We hope no one dies, but you just don't know what will happen," said Frank Johnson, director of public affairs for the Defence Supply Centre in Philadelphia.

US military sources say that if soldiers are killed as a result of an Iraqi attack with chemical or biological weapons, the bodies will most probably be cremated on the battlefield to avoid the spread of contamination.

The Pentagon yesterday denied a claim by a senior Vatican official that the US was secretly shipping 100,000 body bags and 6000 coffins to a military base in Sicily.

But it admitted that it has 34,000 of the bags stored at military bases around the world and available to be sent to the Gulf at short notice.

It has ordered another 8890 for delivery this week and is about to sign a contract for another 30,000 to be delivered next month.

That will bring the total to 72,890 of the black vinyl bags. Each bag has a full-length zip and six handles and costs $70. The Pentagon is also buying 3500 heavier duty olive-green bags at a cost of $150 each.

These bags are coated with rubber and are used to lift bodies by helicopter from rugged terrain. Hundreds of coffins have also been ordered for those soldiers flown back to the US for burial.
This report appears on news.com.au.

03/06/03: Woman Offers Bush Crucifixion-For-Peace Deal

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - A New Zealand woman said on Wednesday she was willing to be crucified by President Bush if he pledges not to attack Iraq.

Mary Grierson said she had emailed the challenge to the White House and as an open letter to leading U.S. newspapers.

"Send your troops home and take me instead, on behalf of everyone in the world who does not want war and oppression," she wrote.

But the deal has a catch -- Bush would have to personally hammer in the nails.

"I don't think he would have the courage to do it quite frankly, but that is the measure of a man," she told Radio New Zealand.

"Can he follow through with this aim of creating more chaos in the world if he had to do it just to one person himself?"

It is not the first novel expression of protest in New Zealand against a looming U.S.-led war on Iraq.

Another woman spent NZ$2,500 ($1,409) last month on an anti-war newspaper advertisement directed at Bush in the hope it would be seen by the U.S. ambassador to New Zealand and passed on to Washington.

New Zealand, which refuses entry to its ports for foreign warships that are nuclear powered or carry nuclear weapons, opposes military action against Iraq unless it is backed by the United Nations.

02/27/03: U.S. loyalty via pizza service to Germans, French

COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- Aage Bjerre has three rules for dining at his pizzeria on the Danish island of Fanoe: No dogs. No Germans. No French.

According to the Canadian Press, the owner of Aage's Pizza is tired of French and German attitudes toward the United States, calling them "disloyal" and "anti-American" in their bid to thwart a possible U.S.-led attack against Iraq.

As a result, Bjerre has refused to serve German and French tourists coming to the town of Nordby, where he runs his shop.

"Hadn't the United States helped Europe in defeating Germany, there would have been photos of Adolf Hitler hanging on the walls around here," he said, referring to Nazi Germany's occupation of Europe in World War II.

The island, 320 kilometers (200 miles) southwest of the capital, Copenhagen, is a popular spot for visitors from neighboring Germany. Of the approximately 100,000 tourists arriving each year, some 60 percent are German, said Birthe Elstroem, head of the island's tourism office. Only a few French tourists visit there.

On the door of Bjerre's restaurant are two homemade pictograms that let French and Germans know they're not welcome. One features the silhouette of a man colored red, yellow and black (the colors of the German flag) and the second is painted blue, white and red (the colors of the French flag). Both silhouettes have a bar across each man.

"I do what my conscience tells me to do," Bjerre said.

Should Germany decide to participate in U.S.-led military action against Iraq, Bjerre, 44, said he would lift his ban. The French, however, have "a lifetime ban here," Bjerre said.

02/27/03: RIP Mr. Rogers - The War / Terrorism side

There was a long article on the passing of legendary childrens' show host, Fred "Mr." Rogers. You can read all of it via the link below, we just thought it was interesting that he too had something to say about life after September 11th :

>

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Fred Rogers , who gently invited millions of children to be his neighbor as host of the public television show "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" for more than 30 years, died of cancer early Thursday. He was 74.[snip]

Rogers taught children how to share, deal with anger and even why they shouldn't fear the bathtub by assuring them they'll never go down the drain.

During the Persian Gulf War, Rogers told youngsters that "all children shall be well taken care of in this neighborhood and beyond ˜ in times of war and in times of peace," and he asked parents to promise their children they would always be safe.

"We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility," he said in 1994. "It's easy to say 'It's not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.'

"Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes."

Rogers came out of broadcasting retirement last year to record public service announcements for the Public Broadcasting Service telling parents how to help their children deal with the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

"If they see the tragedy replayed on television, they might think it's happening at that moment," he said.
Read it all at :
http://entertainment.msn.com/Celebs/Celeb.aspx?movieperson=254614&c=254614